Whiffletree.



No. 882,748. PATENTED MAR. 24, 1908. G. F. DANIELSON.

WHIFFLETREB.

APPLICATION FILED SEPTJ, 1906.

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GUSTAVE F. DANIELSON, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.

WHIFFLETREE.

Application filed September 1. 1906.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 24, 1908.

Serial No. 332,892.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUs'rAvE F. DANIEL- soN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Youngstown, in the county of Mahoning and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Whiffietrees, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in whiffletrees and more especially to whiffletrees in which the cross-bars are formed of sheet metal.

The object of the invention is to make a very light and cheap, yet strong and durable whiffletree, and to this end the invention consists in forming the clevises, hooks etc., from sheet metal and reinforcing the same to give added strength and durability, and in providing certain other new and useful features, all as hereinafter more fully described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1, is a plan view of a whiffletree embodying the invention; Fig. 2, an enlarged section of the same on the line of Fig. 1 Fig. 3, a similar section on the line y y; Fig. 41, is a perspective view of one of the loops detached; and Fig. 5, a similar view of one of the hooks.

1 is the cross-bar of the doubletree or evener and 2 the cross-bar of the swingletree, both formed of sheet metal bent U-shape in cross-section and having the free edges of the metal rolled outward forming a tubular rib 3 along each edge at each side of the slot 4 or open edge of the bar.

The tubular ribs are cut away at each end of the swingletree and hooks 5 formed of sheet metal and provided with ears 6 to embrace the end of the bar, are pivotally attached to said ends by bolts or rivets passing through perforations in the ears and holes in the flat parallel sides of the bar. The sheet metal forming these hooks is rolled into a tapering tubular form and bent into the desired hook shape with the seam or meeting edges of the metal, at the inner side of the hook and within the bend of the hook is placed in forming, a reinforcing rod 7 of the desired size, length and shape, to strengthen the bend of the hook and to take the wear after the sheet metal has worn away at the inner side of the bend of the hook. The extended point or horn 8 of the hook is drawn down small enough so that it will enter the slot 4 in the bar when the hook is turned to operative position and thus a harness trace engaging the hook will be prevented from escaping therefrom.

For the attachment of the swingletree to the doubletree, a loop 9 is secured to the swingletree adapted to be engaged by a clevis 10 attached to the doubletree, and this loop is formed of sheet metal in a manner similar to the hooks. Parallel ears 11 are formed on the ends of the loop to engage the upper and lower surface of the cross-bar 2 and the metal between is rolled into tubular form around a suitable reinforcing rod 12. The ears are perforated and rivets extend through these perforations and through holes in the flat sides of the bar to permanently secure the loop to the swingletree.

The clevis 10 consists of a loop of sheet metal having perforations in its ends which are enlarged to form eyes and a bolt 14 extends through these perforations and holes in the flat sides of the doubletree to pivotally secure the clevis thereto. The clevis is formed with abrupt bends 15 adjacent to the ribs 3 on the bar so that the ears may engage the flat sides of the bar and these bends form shoulders to engage said ribs and take part of the strain from the bolt, when the holes through which the bolt extends wear.

When the doubletree formed of sheet metal as described is used upon an ordinary wagon tongue, it is provided with a bearing strip 16 at its middle consisting of a strip of sheet metal bent around the bar with its ends 17 coiled inward closely around the tubular ribs and extending into the slot and the side portions 18 extending from the outer surface of the ribs parallel with the flat sides of the bar. The portion 19 of the strip which engages the rear rounding edge of the bar is formed around said edge so that it will not slip thereon and openings are made in the strip opposite similar openings in the sides of the bar to receive the ordinary bolt or pin for pivotally attaching the doubletree to the tongue. If desired a tubular bushing 20 may be inserted in these openings and secured therein by riveting its outer ends down, to form a better bearing for the bolt and secure the bearing strip in place. The bearing strip forms an even bearing surface for the doubletree and increases its thickness to give the necessary length of bearing for the pivot bolt.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination with a cross-bar of whiffletrees, of attaching means secured to said bar formed of sheet metal rolled into tubular form and a reinforcing member within said tubular portion.

2. The combination with a cross-bar of whiffletrees, of attaching means formed of sheet metal rolled into tubular form and bent into the form of a loop and a solid reinforcing rod stationarily secured within the tubular portion at the bend of the loop.

3. The combination with a cross-bar of whiflietrees, of attaching means formed of sheet metal rolled into tubular form intermediate its ends and bent in the form of a loop with the meeting edges of the metal at the inner side of the loop, ears integrally formed with the ends of said means for securing the same to the cross-bar, and a reinforcing member within the tubular portion at the bent end of the loop.

4. The combination with a swingletree bar, of hooks pivotally attached to the ends of said bar and each formed of sheet metal with parallel ears at one end and rolled into tubuar form and bent into the form of a hook, said tubular portion being tapered to form an extended and curved bill, and a solid reinforcing rod stationarily secured within the tubular portion at the bend of the hook.

5. The combination of the bar of whiffletrees formed of sheet metal bent U-shape in cross-section and rolled at its free edges to form outwardly projecting ribs, and a clevis having ears pivotally attached to the parallel sides of the bar and provided with shoulders adjacent to the ribs to engage the same.

6. The combination with the cross-bars of a swingletree and a doubletree, each formed of sheet metal bent U-shape in cross-section and provided with ribs along its free edges, of a clevis formed of sheet metal with eyes at its ends and shoulders adjacent to said eyes to engage the ribs, a bolt extending through said eyes and through openings in one of the bars, a loop engaging said clevis and formed 1 of sheet metal with parallel cars at each end to embrace the other bar and rolled intermediate its ends into tubular form, a reinforcing rod within the tubular portion and rivets extending through the ears and bar to secure the loop to said bar.

7. The combination with a doubletree cross-bar formed of sheet metal bent U- shape in cross-section and rolled outwardly along its free edges to form strengthening ribs, of a bearing strip extending around said bar and secured. thereto intermediate its ends with the upper and lower sides of said strip extending from the outer edges of the ribs parallel with and at a distance from the parallel sides of the bar and with the ends of said strip curled around the ribs.

8. The combination with a doubletree cross-bar formed of sheet metal bent U- shape in cross-section and rolled outwardly along the free edges to form strengthening ribs, of a bearing strip embracing said bar with its ends curled around the ribs and extended into the open side of the bar and its side portions extending parallel with the parallel sides of the bar and at a distance therefrom and the portion thereof engaging the rounded and closed edge of the bar being formed to conform to the shape of said edge.

9. The combination with a doubletree cross-bar formed of sheet metal bent U- shape in crosssection and rolled outward at its free edges to form tubular strengthening ribs, of a bearing strip embracing said bar with its ends curled inward around the tubular edges and its side portions extending parallel with the parallel sides of the bar and formed with holes in said sides opposite similar holes in the bar, and a tubular bushing extending through the holes in the bar and strip to form a bearing for a bolt or pin and to secure the strip to the bar.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GUSTAVE F. DANIELSON.

Witnesses:

CHARLES E. SHUMWAY, ANNA M. Done. 

